More red cards have been shown in this World Cup than in any other, with 12 games remaining.

Sunday's match between Portugal and the Netherlands, in which 16 yellow cards and a World Cup single-match record four reds were shown, brought the total of red cards in Germany 2006 to 23 in 52 matches.

The previous record was 22 red cards in all 64 matches in the 1998 World Cup in France.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the referee could have been yellow-carded himself. "I consider that today the referee was not at the same level as the players. There could have been a yellow card for the referee," Blatter told Portugal's SIC television channel after Russian referee Valentin Ivanov took center stage, creating a World Cup record for red cards in one match.

Deco and Costinha, two of Portugal's most important players, were ejected and will miss the quarter final against England. The teams combined for a record-tying 16 yellows.

A total of 291 yellow cards have been shown in Germany, more than the previous record of 272 for the entire competition in Japan and South Korea four years ago.

Hiddink guided South Korea to a golden-goal upset of Italy in the second round of the 2002 World Cup. "In Korea, he told his players how rich and famous and what actors we were. Now they're talking about how it's David vs. Goliath. David vs. Goliath doesn't exist anymore in soccer," Lippi said.

The Socceroos have relied on their fitness to reach the second round, while more skillful Italy struggled in its most physical match, drawing 1-1 with the USA. "It's not a marathon, it's a soccer game," Lippi said.

Switzerland faces Ukraine in Monday's other match (2:55 p.m., ESPN). The Swiss will be without defender Philippe Senderos, who dislocated his right shoulder in a match Friday.

Corner kicks

Almost 2,000 police officers patrolled Stuttgart on Sunday to head off repeat violence as tens of thousands of raucous English fans celebrated. German police said all was calm after England's win. Police in riot gear arrested more than 500 English fans Saturday after two separate incidents involving bottle- and-chair throwing. FIFA blocked incoming e-mail from South Korea to its website because of angry messages from fans after the 2002 semifinalist was eliminated Friday in a 2-0 loss to Switzerland. Korean newspaper Joong-Ang Daily reported 4.2 million Koreans bombarded fifa.com after a disgruntled fan organized a petition suggesting FIFA would have to replay the match if five million people complained.